Railway gondola car structure



y 17, 1956 J. w. COOKE RAILWAY GONDOLA CAR STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Filed July 12, 1952 July 17, 1956 .1. w. COOKE 2,754,770

RAILWAY GONDOLA CAR STRUCTURE Filed July 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent RAILWAY GONDOLA CAR STRUCTURE James W. Cooke, Rosemont, Pa., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, 111., a corporation of Delaware I Application July 12, 1952, Serial No. 298,595

8 Claims. (Cl. 105-406) The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to gondola cars and consists in novel framing structure.

The main object of the invention is to provide gondola car side frame members which may be readily produced and handled as individual units, and readily assembled with each other and with the car main underframe, flooring and side wall plates, and will provide greater strength and durability and require less maintenance cost than the usual built-up car sides previously used.

Preferably each main side frame member consists of a one piece metal casting with its respective parts shaped to afford maximum strength for the amount of metal used.

Another object is to form the car framing of four main frame castings of open construction to which other parts of the car framing, flooring and side walls may be applied.

Another object is to form a car side frame with a deep side sill and with side posts integral therewith and well adapted to resist lateral thrusts on its car side.

Another object is to provide a continuous cast metal surface at the corner of the car floor and side wall to better avoid deterioration due to corrosion, which is likely to occur at such corner in the usual built-up construction.

These and other detailed objects of the invention as will appear from the following description are attained by the structure shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view and horizontal section of one longitudinal half of a gondola car framing, the lower part of the figure comprising a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view and vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken section line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken section line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 77 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 88 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken on the line 99 of Figure 4.

Figure 10 is a horizontal section taken on the line 10---10 of Figure 5.

Figure 11 is a horizontal section taken on the line 11--11 of Figure 5.

The framing for a complete car will include two underframe end castings A, two side frame castings B, a composite center sill C formed of rolled steel structural shapes, and a plurality of rolled steel structural shape on the on the section section section section section section cross beams E, each extending between one of the center sill shapes and one of the side frames.

These parts are united by welding where they abut each other, thus forming a framing without crevices between the parts likely to receive moisture and other material tending to corrode the metal and weaken the joined parts.

Each underframe end casting comprises a draft sill 10, a transverse bolster 11, an end sill 12, and longitudinal transoms 13. The draft sill and bolster include a center plate 14 and the draft sill and end sill include a coupler pocket and striking plate member 15.

The center sill C consists of two Z-bars 16. The edges of the upper flanges of the two bars abut and are welded together.

Each side frame comprises a side sill 17, a top chord 18, and a plurality of upright posts 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. The major portion of the side sill is an upright web of fish-belly contour being relatively shallow at the ends of the sill, which extend over the truck, as indicated by the wheels 25, and being relatively deep throughout the intermediate portion of the car. The web is reinforced by a flange 26 along its lower edge turned inwardly of the car and by a flange 27 along its upper edge extending outwardly of the web and then upwardly. Side sill flange 27 extends above the floor level for corrosion resistance at the more vulnerable part where water and other material left by the lading may accumulate.

Top chord 18 includes upright webs 28, 29 spaced apart transversely of the car and one or more horizontal webs 30 spaced apart vertically. Preferably the chord is of box cross section. Posts 19-24 correspond generally in width to the width of chord 18 and the inner edge of each post is substantially flush with and merges with the chord inner web 29 and with the upper edge of flange 27. The outer edge of each post is substantially flush with and merges with chord web 28 and, at the lower end of the post, inclines inwardly and merges with the lower edge of side sill 17 and with flange 26.

Corner post 19 preferably is of boX cross section and its inner and outer web members 19a and 19b are in the same general planes as the inner and outer webs of the top chord and merge therewith. This post also has a box-like extension projecting inwardly to form an end door stop.

While the other posts may be of box section also, as indicated at 24, lighter sections may be used as indicated at 20, 21, 22 and 23.

Post 20 is of bulb cross section with its inner flange member in the same general plane as the inner web of the top chord.

Post 21 is of T cross section with its inner flange member in the same general plane as the inner web of the top chord.

Each post 22 is of I cross section with its inner flange member in the same general plane as the inner web of the top chord.

Post 23 is of U cross section with a cross bar 31 and legs 32, provided with end flange members 33 which are in the same general plane as the top chord inner web.

The inner and outer web members of post 25 merge with the inner :and outer webs of the top chord similarly to the merging of the corresponding elements of corner posts 19.

The outer members of posts 1924 merge with the outer web 20 of the top chord and, at the lower ends of the posts, incline inwardly to merge with the lower edge of the side sill and its flange 26. It will be understood that all or selected ones of the posts may be of the same cross section.

The cross beams E of rolled steel have their ends welded to the center sill Zs 16 and to the side sill webs 17. A

.a brace 34 adjacent the outer end of each cross beam E reinforces the side sill and forms an additional support for the cross beam. A similar brace 35 is provided between the center sill and each cross beam. Braces 34 and 35 are welded at their edges to the cross beam and to the side sill and center sill, respectively. The longi tudinal members D are welded to cross beams E and form floor supporting members.

Flooring 36 is mounted on the center sill, cross beams, longitudinal members D, and side sills. Rolled steel plates 37 are welded to the side sills, top chords and posts and form therewith rigid unitary side wall structure.

The complete assembly forms unitary car underframe and side structures, each of substantially greater strength and durability than would he possessed by the usual built-up structure. Each car side comprises a composite open truss and plate girder, with a side sill, a top chord, and side and corner posts which provide for increased strength transversely and vertically as compared to the usual rolled steel built-up construction, the top chord being particularly rugged as compared to those now used to reduce the amount of damage to which the top chords are now subjected during loading and unloading. All of the meeting edges of the various metal parts are welded together so as to avoid joints and crevices between them, or around rivet heads as generally used, where moisture and the acids resulting from mixture of moisture and lading, or cinders and dirt, may corrode and weaken the joints.

Various portions of the castings, and particularly the members of box cross section, may be lightened with apertures as indicated at 38 without unfavorab'ly affecting the strength of the parts.

Other variations in the details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway car integral cast metal side structure onepiece casting embodying a side sill having an upright web with vertically spaced upper and lower lateral reinforcing flanges extending substantially from end to end of the side structure, a top chord having inner and outer upright webs spaced apart transversely of the side structure and extending substantially from end to end of the side structure, and spaced posts extending between said sill and top chord, said posts being offset outwardly from said side sill upright web and having inner and outer elements spaced apart transversely of the side structure and at their upper ends being flush with and merging with said chord inner and outer webs respectively, the upper flange of the side sill curving outwardly and up wardly and merging with the inner elements of the posts, and the outer elements of the posts merging with the side sill lower reinforcing flange.

2. In a railway car integral cast metal side structure, a side sill of Z-li'ke cross section including an upright main web and top and bottom flanges, the upper flange being of arcuate form and extending outwardly and upwardly from the sill web, and posts at intervals along the side structure offset outwardly of the car from the A, side sill web and merging at their lower ends with the outer portion of said Z top flange and with the sill web.

3. A railway car integral cast metal side structure according to claim 2, in which each post has an angular cross section comprising a web, extending transversely of the side structure, and a flanged portion paralleling the side sill upright web and merging with the upper flange of the side sill.

4. A railway car integral side structure according to claim 2, which includes a top chord having inner and outer upright walls spaced apart transversely of the side structure and each of the posts has an angular cross section comprising a web extending transversely of the side structure, and a flange at the inner edge of the web paralleling the side sill upright web and merging with the upper flange of the side sill and with the inner wall of the top chord.

5. A railway car integral sidc structure according to claim 2, which includes a top chord having inner and outer upright walls spaced apart transversely of the side structure and each of the posts has an angular cross section comprising a web extending transversely of the side structure, and flanges at the inner and outer edges of the Web paralleling the side sill upright web and merging respectively with the upper and lower flanges of the side sill and with the inner and outer walls of the top chord.

6. A railway car integral side structure according to claim 2, which includes a top chord having a box section, and at least some of the posts are of box cross section horizontally with their inner and outer walls paralleliug the side sill upright web and merging respectively with the upper and lower flanges of the side sill and with the inner and outer walls or" the top chord.

7. In a railway car integral side structure according to claim 2, which includes a top chord having a box section, and at least some of the posts are of a U-shapcd cross section horizontally including spaced legs and a cross bar, the cross bar paralleling the side sill upright web and merging with the outer wall of the top chord and with the lower flange of the side sill, and the inner wall of the top chord and with the upper flange of the side sill.

8. In a railway car integral side structure according to claim 2, which includes a top chord having a box section, and at least some of the posts are of T-shaped cross section horizontally with a :web extending transversely of the side sill upright web and with flanges extending parallel to the side sill upright web, the flanges merging with the upper flange of the side sill and with the inner wall of the top chord.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,794,697 Lorenz Mar. 3, 1931. 1,859,261 Mussey et al. May 17, 1932 1,877,369 Small Sept. 13, 1932 2,140,268 Moss Dec. 13, 1938 2,183,054 Tesseyman et al Dec. 12, 1939 2,333,223 Williams Nov. 2, 1943 

